Sounds like serious trouble.
The Environment Minister of Zimbabwe Oppah Muchinguri has called for Dr Walter Palmer, the dentist from Minnesota who killed a 13 year old lion that lived on protected land, to be extradited to Zimbabwe to face a criminal trial.
Dr Palmer, 55, is reportedly facing charges of financing an illegal hunt.
Oppah Muchinguri said Dr Palmer was a “foreign poacher” and the process had already been started to have him extradited.
“Unfortunately it was too late to apprehend the foreign poacher as he had already absconded to his country of origin,” she told a news conference. “We are appealing to the responsible authorities for his extradition to Zimbabwe so that he be made accountable.”
There is a bilateral extradition treaty between the US and Zimbabwe since April 2000 for situations where the individual is charged with a criminal offence in both countries.
At the moment the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is investigating if any criminal laws have been broken in the US by Dr Palmer’s actions.
USFWS Deputy chief of law enforcement Edward Grace said the service will “assist Zimbabwe officials in whatever manner requested.
“It is up to all of us – not just the people of Africa – to ensure that healthy, wild populations of animals continue to roam the savanna for generations to come.”
Finally the Deputy chief urged Palmer “or his representative [to] contact us immediately,” noting that “multiple efforts to contact Dr Walter Palmer have been unsuccessful.”
Hat-tip to The Guardian
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